Great Oaks To Build Office Building

December 20, 1985|By Lauren Ritchie of The Sentinel Staff

Ground will be broken in January for an administrative building for Great Oaks Village, with construction to be finished by late summer.

Larry Jones, director of Great Oaks, the Orange County home for abused, abandoned and orphaned children, said the building on the west side of the campus will combine about 45 offices that are housed in four buildings.

The building also will house several existing programs on the 80-acre campus at 1718 E. Michigan St., Orlando. These include crisis counseling, counseling for runaway children, treatment programs for foster children and shelter care cottages.

Jones said the building where he works, which was built in 1924, and two others will be torn down for a parking lot.

Under construction are three 16-bed cottages to house foster care children, who generally require long-term care, Jones said. When those are finished, it will be the first time the county home has not been crowded in several years, he said.

A.D. Arnold Construction Co. won the contract for the administration building by offering a low bid of $453,000.